How? They made a computer simulation of the universe. And it looks sort of like us.

A long-proposed thought experiment, put forward by both philosophers and popular culture, points out that any civilisation of sufficient size and intelligence would eventually create a simulation universe if such a thing were possible.

And since there would therefore be many more simulations (within simulations, within simulations) than real universes, it is therefore more likely than not that our world is artificial.

Now a team of researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany led by Silas Beane say they have evidence this may be true.

In a paper named 'Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation', they point out that current simulations of the universe - which do exist, but which are extremely weak and small - naturally put limits on physical laws.

Technology Review explains that "the problem with all simulations is that the laws of physics, which appear continuous, have to be superimposed onto a discrete three dimensional lattice which advances in steps of time."

What that basically means is that by just being a simulation, the computer would put limits on, for instance, the energy that particles can have within the program.

These limits would be experienced by those living within the sim - and as it turns out, something which looks just like these limits do in fact exist.

The Measurement That Would Reveal The Universe As A Computer Simulation

The Physics arXiv Blog

October 10, 2012

The Measurement That Would Reveal The Universe As A Computer SimulationIf the cosmos is a numerical simulation, there ought to be clues in the spectrum of high energy cosmic rays, say theorists

It's not hard to imagine that Moore's Law-type progress will allow physicists to simulate significantly larger regions of space. A region just a few micrometres across could encapsulate the entire workings of a human cell.

Again, the behaviour of this human cell would be indistinguishable from the real thing.

It's this kind of thinking that forces physicists to consider the possibility that our entire cosmos could be running on a vastly powerful computer. If so, is there any way we could ever know?

Today, we get an answer of sorts from Silas Beane, at the University of Bonn in Germany, and a few pals. They say there is a way to see evidence that we are being simulated, at least in certain scenarios.

First, some background. The problem with all simulations is that the laws of physics, which appear continuous, have to be superimposed onto a discrete three dimensional lattice which advances in steps of time.

The question that Beane and co ask is whether the lattice spacing imposes any kind of limitation on the physical processes we see in the universe. They examine, in particular, high energy processes, which probe smaller regions of space as they get more energetic

What they find is interesting. They say that the lattice spacing imposes a fundamental limit on the energy that particles can have. That's because nothing can exist that is smaller than the lattice itself.

So if our cosmos is merely a simulation, there ought to be a cut off in the spectrum of high energy particles.

It turns out there is exactly this kind of cut off in the energy of cosmic ray particles, a limit known as the Greisen–Zatsepin–Kuzmin or GZK cut off.

High Energy Physics - PhenomenologyConstraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation

Silas R. Beane, Zohreh Davoudi, Martin J. Savage(Submitted on 4 Oct 2012)Observable consequences of the hypothesis that the observed universe is a numerical simulation performed on a cubic space-time lattice or grid are explored. The simulation scenario is first motivated by extrapolating current trends in computational resource requirements for lattice QCD into the future. Using the historical development of lattice gauge theory technology as a guide, we assume that our universe is an early numerical simulation with unimproved Wilson fermion discretization and investigate potentially-observable consequences. Among the observables that are considered are the muon g-2 and the current differences between determinations of alpha, but the most stringent bound on the inverse lattice spacing of the universe, b^(-1) >~ 10^(11) GeV, is derived from the high-energy cut off of the cosmic ray spectrum. The numerical simulation scenario could reveal itself in the distributions of the highest energy cosmic rays exhibiting a degree of rotational symmetry breaking that reflects the structure of the underlying lattice.Comments: 14 pages, 3 figuresSubjects: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph); High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE); High Energy Physics - Lattice (hep-lat); High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)Report number: NT@UW-12-14; INT-PUB-12-046

Great work op !! So does this mean that we are truly in the Matrix?It sure has seemed like this to me for many years... Ever since I watched the movie with Jim carry .. Crap!! Forget the name &#128535;

Great work op !! So does this mean that we are truly in the Matrix?It sure has seemed like this to me for many years... Ever since I watched the movie with Jim carry .. Crap!! Forget the name &#128535;

Great work op !! So does this mean that we are truly in the Matrix?It sure has seemed like this to me for many years... Ever since I watched the movie with Jim carry .. Crap!! Forget the name &#128535;

Great work op !! So does this mean that we are truly in the Matrix?It sure has seemed like this to me for many years... Ever since I watched the movie with Jim carry .. Crap!! Forget the name &#128535;

Quoting: saturn12

The Truman Show...

But anyway, who cares, we are a simulation. Yay. Now can we all get over ourselves and start going against the code?

Great work op !! So does this mean that we are truly in the Matrix?It sure has seemed like this to me for many years... Ever since I watched the movie with Jim carry .. Crap!! Forget the name &#128535;

Quoting: saturn12

The Truman Show...

But anyway, who cares, we are a simulation. Yay. Now can we all get over ourselves and start going against the code?

I think this universe at this frequency range is a game construct, and we are the avatars of the players from a different dimension. You of course come into the game construct with no knowledge that you are in a game construct, because if you had that knowledge it would alter the game. You take the game seriously, because you believe it is your true existance, this also gives the game meaning.

But things like prophecy, ESP, intuition, are all things that should be impossible and are unable to be explained by science, yet they obviously occur. These are subconcious manifestations of our true selves. Knowlege of how and where the game programming is progressing too, etc.

We find numerous clues to this in our subconcious and our dreams, but we desperately want to believe it's real, so we ignore these clues....

I think this universe at this frequency range is a game construct, and we are the avatars of the players from a different dimension. You of course come into the game construct with no knowledge that you are in a game construct, because if you had that knowledge it would alter the game. You take the game seriously, because you believe it is your true existance, this also gives the game meaning.

But things like prophecy, ESP, intuition, are all things that should be impossible and are unable to be explained by science, yet the obviously occur. These are subconcious manifestations of our true selves. Knowlege of how and where the game programming is progressing too, etc.

We find numerous clues to this in our subconcious and our dreams, but we desperately want to believe its real, so we ignore these clues....

I think this universe at this frequency range is a game construct, and we are the avatars of the players from a different dimension. You of course come into the game construct with no knowledge that you are in a game construct, because if you had that knowledge it would alter the game. You take the game seriously, because you believe it is your true existance, this also gives the game meaning.

But things like prophecy, ESP, intuition, are all things that should be impossible and are unable to be explained by science, yet they obviously occur. These are subconcious manifestations of our true selves. Knowlege of how and where the game programming is progressing too, etc.

We find numerous clues to this in our subconcious and our dreams, but we desperately want to believe it's real, so we ignore these clues....

Quoting: Saddletramp

Wow.. Very well said ... And nice and simply without twisting my brain :):clappa:

"And I understood that in an age where there was so much ego, because of the camera, that it was very important to look for that kind of player, ... I began to look for the kind of player that doesn't need his ego fed by stardom, but will do what he's supposed to do because he knows the game and loves the game, and will do the job the right way even if someone else gets the glory." ~ Bill Belichick

How? They made a computer simulation of the universe. And it looks sort of like us.

A long-proposed thought experiment, put forward by both philosophers and popular culture, points out that any civilisation of sufficient size and intelligence would eventually create a simulation universe if such a thing were possible.

And since there would therefore be many more simulations (within simulations, within simulations) than real universes, it is therefore more likely than not that our world is artificial.

Now a team of researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany led by Silas Beane say they have evidence this may be true.

In a paper named 'Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation', they point out that current simulations of the universe - which do exist, but which are extremely weak and small - naturally put limits on physical laws.

Technology Review explains that "the problem with all simulations is that the laws of physics, which appear continuous, have to be superimposed onto a discrete three dimensional lattice which advances in steps of time."

What that basically means is that by just being a simulation, the computer would put limits on, for instance, the energy that particles can have within the program.

These limits would be experienced by those living within the sim - and as it turns out, something which looks just like these limits do in fact exist.

Quoting: pink cat

I don't know about a simulation, but God did determine all things from beginning to end, and everything moves in its perfect order and purpose, according to his Will (i.e. Program). He is the great Scientist, Mathematician, etc....